Gatorade Becomes a Part of the Greatest Moments in Sports History in New Ad

An old saying says that behind a successful man, stands a successful women. When it comes to sport, we can say that behind a successful sportsmen, lies a strong energy drink. If you don’t believe me, this new Gatorade ad will convince you – The L.A based creative agency TBWA /Chiat/Day is responsible for the new ad, dubbed “Path of the Lightning Bolt”, that represents a chronological overview of the most important sport events which are marked by the sparkly orange drink.

The video starts with the footage of a laboratory at the University of Florida, where the beverage was originally formulated back in 1965., moving to the Kansas City Chiefs, who were the first professional team to use glass bottles of Gatorade during the game. As a journey through the history of sports and Gatorade, the ad also features original footage of various famous athletes at some of their finest moments; the living basketball legend Michael Jordan at the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest (sponsored by Gatorade) and also Serena Williams and her epic leg-splitting move on the tennis court. The video was made as historically accurate as possible – TBWA\Chiat\Day art director Renato Fernandez stated that the moments chosen to be in the video needed to be ones where “Gatorade was actually there and actually played a role. It needed to be legit.”

Group Creative Director Brent Anderson explains the campaign concept: “The path of the lightning bolt just happens to travel through some of the most memorable and beloved moments over the past 48 years. The evolution of Gatorade is the evolution of the sport.”

With the help of lively indie soundtrack “Path of the Lightning Bolt” ( from the emerging musician Jake Bugg) the video accurately portrays the brand’s winning aura and its contribution to the athletic career success. Check it out:

Jovana made a shift from the media and culture oriented studies towards the advertising and marketing practice. Still experimenting with her professional visions, she currently feels the safest in the area of word and branding. A struggling, yet emerging critic.